Mokotjo move up to van Gaal - Ajax ready to snap up star

SOUTH African midfielder Kamohelo Mokotjo is waiting on the new Manchester  United  manager, Louis van Gaal, to make his move.

The 23-year-old from Odendaalsrus has become the subject of intense interest in the Dutch press over the last two days after his  man -of-the-match performance for unfashionable PEC Zwolle on Sunday as they again beat highly fancied Ajax Amsterdam 1-0 to win a second piece of silverware in four months.

Ajax coach Frank de Boer made it clear he wants the former SuperSport  United  product in his team’s ranks for the new season as a replacement for utility player Daley Blind.

But the deal can only be done once Van Gaal and Manchester  United  make clear their intentions around Blind, one of the Dutch stars of the World Cup.

Even PEC have admitted Mokotjo was almost sure to leave the club before the transfer window closes at the end of the month.

Mokotjo will make PEC a tidy profit after they picked him up on a free transfer this time last year when his contract at Feyenoord came to an end. The Dutch newspaper, Algemeen Dagblad, devoted an entire page yesterday to Mokotjo’s future, reporting he was also being tracked by Twente Enschede and PSV Eindhoven plus the Belgian champions Anderlecht and Club Brugge.

“We will cooperate with any transfer bids that come in for Kamo if it is at the right price,” said PEC’s technical director Gerard Nijkamp.

Mokotjo was outstanding in their match at the Amsterdam Arena in the Dutch Super Cup on Sunday – stripping the ball off compatriot Thulani Serero in midfield to set up the surprise winner for PEC.

In April, Mokotjo was also outstanding when PEC upset Ajax 5-1 in the Dutch Cup final.

Mokotjo’s response to all the fuss yesterday was: “I’m paying no attention to all this speculation, it means nothing. I don’t know where I will be playing this coming season but for the moment I am a PEC player and all I’m doing is focusing on the game against Utrecht [on Friday night].”